Liquid shampoos are commonly employed to clean the hair of humans and animals which have been soiled with dirt, grease, sweat, odors and environmental soils. Typically, the hair is thoroughly wetted, an amount of the shampoo is manually rubbed into the hair, and the treated hair is rinsed clean. Liquid conditioning agents to enhance the manageability and appearance of the hair can optionally be applied to the hair prior to the final water rinse and drying steps.
Typically, shampoos contain aqueous solutions or dispersions of detergents and alcoholic solvents to solubilize oils and other greasy substances, along with emollient oils and waxes. Shampoos can also include agents to treat dermatological conditions such as dandruff, or to control insect pests on animals. Conditioning agents include materials which are substantive to hair, e.g., are absorbed onto the hair. Such agents include various modified proteins and film-forming synthetic polymers.
Although liquid shampoos and substantive agents can be effective to clean and condition hair, they must be applied and removed in conjunction with the application of large amounts of water to the hair of the user. This process can be inconvenient and time-consuming, especially due to the drying and styling steps necessary after the hair has been washed. If the hair is not really dirty, but only needs freshening, there is no convenient and effective conventional way of revitalizing and refreshing, without shampooing.
Therefore, a need exists for a method which is effective to rapidly clean and condition hair without unduly wetting the hair or necessitating a drying step.